Hardcore PC games become Facebook games in a cinch with Overwolf

Well, sans the Neighbor Bars and arguably incessant gift sharing. Overwolf, an Israeli start up company and service, adds a social layer to existing hardcore PC games like World of Warcraft and Call of Duty. It does this through a free download that allows gamers to post their achievements and milestones in-game to social services like Facebook, Twitter and Skype without having to leave the game.

While GamePro notes that existing services like Steam and Raptr allow players to communicate in-game, Overwolf seemingly turns every hardcore game into, well, a social game. (Not to mention it has support for in-game email and web browsing as well.) But hardcore gamers have hardcore social tastes, so players can record video clips and post them to Facebook and other social channels, again, without leaving the game.

"Publishers are looking for ways to ignite the viral potential of online games, but integration has been difficult, especially with all of the demands of operating live titles," said Overwolf CEO Uri Marchand. "We're offering a way to add this functionality with zero effort required on the publisher's side. We've been getting amazing feedback from gamers telling us they love Overwolf, and it's a great way to engage friends and share their gaming life with their real lives, which has the effect of bringing more users into online games."

With major companies like Activision releasing social networks for their own games like Call of Duty Elite--and Xbox 360 having cross-game social features since its launch--the desire to share is certainly there. And as publishers and start ups alike begin to notice, the lines between Facebook game and hardcore game continue to blur. Services like Overwolf are only the beginning, so it might not be long before the word "social game" becomes moot.

YouRiding Bodyboarding Battle on Facebook: Extreme games require extreme skill

YourRiding Bodyboarding Battle
There is a small group of Facebook gamers, mostly refugees of FarmVille and CityVille, that has been clamoring for a game that requires real skill. While there are plenty out there already, Bodyboarding Battle, by French developer YouRiding, is a worthy addition to that small list. The game doesn't look the best with its plain UI, and it appears that the major focus in its graphical push was toward the look of the waves--so much so that the other elements, such as your rider, lack detail. Regardless, Bodyboarding Battle rises to the challenge in gameplay, although there is a steep learning curve.

Luckily, anyone who has played games like Trials will feel right at home with the general idea of this game. Players, using the arrow keys, must out-board a wave while maintaining a balance between speed and, well, balance. It sounds easy enough, but the game reads extremely subtle key presses, meaning that delicate control is the key to victory in Bodyboarding Battle.

Gallery: YouRiding Bodyboarding Battle
Your rider appears in the distance, approaching the wave in the foreground of the scene. As he nears the crest of the wave, you must hold the "down" key and then the "right" key to take off ahead of the way. However, if you don't quickly establish a balance between speed and footing, you'll wipe out for sure. This is done by, while holding the right arrow key at all times, pressing the "up" and down arrow keys with slight, rhythmic strokes that both keep your boarder afloat and ahead of the wave. While it makes for a brilliant test of skill, the whole scheme takes some time to grasp.

If you're interested, the controls go even deeper to reveal tricks that players can perform while outpacing the wave. You can go into a tubing position while underneath a wave crest or even perform aerial tricks using the "R," "E" and "D" keys at the precise moments for major points.

Wipe out!
When you feel confident in your virtual surfing abilities, you can test those skills against opponents. However, the matches are asynchronous exchanges of best times rather than real-time races to the finish. Players perform their best runs, tricks and all, and compare the results to determine the winner. As you win matches and improve your skills, your rating will increase. But the more matches you lose, the more your rating will decrease, creating a sort of balance in the matchmaking system for everyone. In other words, you'll almost always compete with players of your skill level.

Players can buy boosts to their skills through either a credit card or PayPal to temporarily increase their speed and reduce their likelihood of wiping out, though nothing will do you better than practice in such a game. You can battle opponents 10 times a day at no charge, but after that matches will either cost money or require you to request them from friends. Boosts can be requested via friends as well, but focusing on requesting more matches to gain more experience looks to be a sound decision.

YouRiding has struck gold when it comes to skill-centric Facebook gaming, but Bodyboarder Battle could benefit from better visuals. Regardless, if you're looking for a social game that's going to test your abilities rather than your patience or dedication, then this is a fine place to start your search.

Click here to play Bodyboarding Battle on Facebook Now >

Are you more a fan of easier social games or those that require skill? Do you think that skill-based games have a chance at widespread success on Facebook?